The president is expected to hold bilateral discus The president is expected to hold bilateral discussions with the presidents of the UK Parliament and European Commission about corruption, economy and the challenges of migration and mobility in Africa.Mr. Arrion said the EU would use the occasion of Mr. Buhari’s visit to re-open discussions on the controversial Economic partnership agreement (EPA) on trade with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, which Nigeria has refused to sign.

He said the EU would continue to support Nigeria in the fight against corruption through a range of programmes aimed at strengthening the capacities of the anti-corruption agencies and the criminal justice administration system.“We welcome any form of cooperation in the judicial and the police that Nigeria wants to have with EU member-states,” he said.

“The EU will be ready to support government agencies fighting corruption in public procurement and administration, starting with investigation and judiciary’s handling of corruption cases.”Apart from the support for the fight against corruption through a 35 million Euros project implemented nationwide by the UN Office on Drug and Crime, the EU envoy said the delegation would support the judicial reform in Nigeria with the currently United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, initiative in six states.

The projects, targeted at various anti-corruption cases, seek to evolve a coordinated mechanism for the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in the country.

He said the EU was committed to work with Nigeria in formulating the appropriate policies and strategies, by combining military, intelligence, information, humanitarian, political and development responses to the problem at federal and state levels.“During the visit, we (EU) will hold bilateral discussions on the humanitarian responses, in terms of building the capacity of Nigeria to respond to the social infrastructure needs for schools, hospitals and electricity in the North East region of the country.“The focus of the discussions will be how the international community can help Nigeria address the threat of Boko Haram insurgents; fight corruption in public and private sectors of the country’s economy, and help recover and return stolen assets to Nigeria,

” he explained.He advised the government not to focus on corruption in the public sector alone, noting that the level of corruption in the private sector,especially in the business sector, was not only high, but also seriously impacting on the economy and management of economic infrastructure.Mr. Arrion said the problem with the Nigerian economy was its over-dependence on oil revenue.“There should be a complete review of taxation policy in Nigeria, particularly on company and individual income taxes as well as value added tax, VAT.

Nigeria has the lowest rate of VAT in Africa. The issue is not the rate of VAT, but the coverage. You cannot raise VAT if half of the economy is not covered and the businesses and transactions are informal,” he said.On migration, Mr, Arion said a high level mission is expected to visit Nigeria soon to discuss on the challenges of migration and mobility in Africa, to follow up on discussions held last November in Malta on EU-Africa summit to form a common agenda on migration with the presidents of the UK Parliament and European Commission about corruption, economy and the challenges of migration and mobility in Africa.

Mr. Arrion said the EU would use the occasion of Mr. Buhari’s visit to re-open discussions on the controversial Economic partnership agreement (EPA) on trade with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, which Nigeria has refused to sign.He said the EU would continue to support Nigeria in the fight against corruption through a range of programmes aimed at strengthening the capacities of the anti-corruption agencies and the criminal justice administration system.“We welcome any form of cooperation in the judicial and the police that Nigeria wants to have with EU member-states,” he said. “The EU will be ready to support government agencies fighting corruption in public procurement and administration, starting with investigation and judiciary’s handling of corruption cases.”Apart from the support for the fight against corruption through a 35 million Euros project implemented nationwide by the UN Office on Drug and Crime, the EU envoy said the delegation would support the judicial reform in Nigeria with the currently United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, initiative in six states.

The projects, targeted at various anti-corruption cases, seek to evolve a coordinated mechanism for the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in the country.He said the EU was committed to work with Nigeria in formulating the appropriate policies and strategies, by combining military, intelligence, information, humanitarian, political and development responses to the problem at federal and state levels.“During the visit, we (EU) will hold bilateral discussions on the humanitarian responses, interms of building the capacity of Nigeria to respond to the social infrastructure needs for schools, hospitals and electricity in the North East region of the country.

“The focus of the discussions will be how the international community can help Nigeria address the threat of Boko Haram insurgents; fight corruption in public and private sectors ofthe country’s economy, and help recover and return stolen assets to Nigeria,” he explained.He advised the government not to focus on corruption in the public sector alone, noting that the level of corruption in the private sector,especially in the business sector, was not only high, but also seriously impacting on the economy and management of economic infrastructure.

Mr. Arrion said the problem with the Nigerian economy was its over-dependence on oil revenue.“There should be a complete review of taxationpolicy in Nigeria, particularly on company and individual income taxes as well as value addedtax, VAT. Nigeria has the lowest rate of VAT in Africa. The issue is not the rate of VAT, but the coverage. You cannot raise VAT if half of the economy is not covered and the businesses and transactions are informal,” he said.On migration, Mr, Arion said a high level mission is expected to visit Nigeria soon to discuss on the challenges of migration and mobility in Africa, to follow up on discussions held last November in Malta on EU-Africa summit to form a common agenda on migration.
..............................
From my assessment it seems the EU want to take over the Nigerian Government, because the ingredients of that treaty touches almost every institutions in Nigerian system.

what do you all think?
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/197543-buhari-address-eu-parliament-commissions-special-session.html

Think about Nigeria signing a slave agreement,never infact those are one of the things i can actually thank GEJ for.he refuse to sign that and the anti gay bill he signed into law.this are the good he would be remembered for.i trust my baba PMB white man no fit fool am with that kind leg.

This is not the first time they are coming with their treaty.....
They brought one during Jonathan's tenure, Aganga rejected it now they are bringing another one during Buhari's tenure....

I have a feeling that bubu might accept it because of the economic downturn but Nigerians will reject it...
If Nigeria signs that thing, they'll take over west Africa..
#neocolonialism..

The EPA sword of Damocles, manufacturers are officially finished in Nigeria when this thing gets signed

shizzy7:
This is not the first time they are coming with their treaty.....
They brought one during Jonathan's tenure, Aganga rejected it now they are bringing another one during Buhari's tenure....

I have a feeling that bubu might accept it because of the economic downturn but Nigerians will reject it...

Nigerians won't reject what they know nothing about except those in our manufacturing sector whom this treaty will push out of business finally (though the FG's present policy flip flops & ineptitude is doing a great job of pushing them out of business already sha)

talktimi:
Nigerians won't reject what they know nothing about except those in our manufacturing sector whom this treaty will push out of business finally (though the FG's present policy flip flops & ineptitude is doing a great job of pushing them out of business already sha)

"Nigerians" constitutes manufacturers, importers, business owners and other stakeholders involved.......
I believe they can oppose it IF the President decides to sign....
MAN, NLC and other associations will also have a say in this issue....

shizzy7:
"Nigerians" constitutes manufacturers, importers, business owners and other stakeholders involved.......
I believe they can oppose it IF the President decides to sign....
MAN, NLC and other associations will also have a say in this issue....

did anybody from MAN & the NLC follow or will they join his delegation ? Remember he recently rejected sane advice from his minister of finance against signing a treaty in the UAE as the terms were heavily lopsided against us as a nation. I fear Buhari will just say "yessa masta" and sign any document dumped in front of him since he's the only intellectual technocrat in his government. He should prove me wrong sha